Thank you sponsors! A review of commercial sponsors for the Versus TDF coverage

Watching Le Tour this last week has reminded me that there are a plethora of products that could enhance my life if I can just part with 3 easy payments of $19.95. Here are some of the choice sponsors for your enjoyment:

Enzyte "Male Enhancement"
I guess they figure that all the cyclists must be getting impotent from sitting on those tiny, hard seats. Hence, the need for male enhancement. I'm not sure why there is a race car on the package though. Cause while I might want my man "revved up" or "firing on all cylinders", it's not a freaking drag race! And, stock cars kinda turn me off....

Perfect Pushup
I've had the pleasure of giving this product a try at the gym at work. Well, I can tell you, my pushups are still far from perfect and I still seem to be able to contort my forearms into all sorts of positions that the ergo people would be screeching about. And, I know I did as many pushups as the guy on the commercial, but my abs still aren't ripped. Perhaps that's the fault of the "Perfect Pizza" in the cafeteria, though....

Bullseye Fisherman
This is a slingshot for your fishing pole. It promises to let you cast your line anywhere. Next time I feel like I can't climb an overpass, I will simply crawl under it and cast my line into whatever urban drainage canal lies beneath. There's nowhere I can't put my line with the Bullseye Fisherman. Whether or not I want to see what come up when I reel it in is another question....

Listen Up
This sound amplifier promises to make it easier to hear sermons and church and eavesdrop on your neighbors. Hmmmm. But, maybe the part where it appeals to the cycling audience is where they show the guy working out at the gym listening to the ladies across they way talk about how fit he it. Maybe the boy cyclists will want to hear what the lady cyclists have to say about them on group rides (or not).

Vacuum Sealer
This product allows you to buy a bunch of fresh food and then vacuum seal it so you can store it in your freezer until the next ice age, or until racing season is over and you can think about cooking again.

Forearm Forklift
Cyclists are notoriously weak in the upper body. Therefore, the forearm forklift will come in handy for moving large pieces of furniture around the house. The only problem is that none of us have room for any furniture, since all the livable space is taken up by bikes.

Pet Jet Washer
This product promises to reduce pet washing time by combining the shampoo and rinsing into a single, handy gadget. And, who couldn't use more time for training? However, in my experience, the process of getting Fido into the bathtub is what takes all the time - not the washing process. Nice try, though.

Find Me Spot
Finally, someone came up with a product that might actually appeal to the target audience! This is a satellite locater where you can push a button and contact international rescue, or just have your friends track your journey on your blog. This is the perfect gift for your favorite cyclotourist!

Weekend Adventures

In addition to chauffeuring, shopping, cooking and gardening on the weekends, I have managed to get out for some cycling adventures. Though, since I am on my own, there are no fun pictures to show :(

This weekend, I did a couple of favorite loops in Los Altos Hills. It's a very hilly route, and I worked on climbing accelerations as intervals during my climbs. I was doing great until Moody Rd. steep part when I thought I was putting the dérailleur in the spokes. Turns out it was just my left pedal starting to die. Sigh.



Sunday, I decided that since I had my mountain bike out and prepped for last week's Dirty Velo Girls ride, I could do another MTB ride. Unfortunately, we don't live super-close to any trails. And, I absolutely abhor the idea of driving my bike to a trail head. So, I wandered 9 miles to the south to hit some new trails I haven't tried in the Steven's Canyon area. I left from the Reservoir area and looped back into the other side of Cupertino. The Coyote Ridge trail was a good cut-across. It wasn't technical at all, but made up for it in steepness. Yikes. It was lowest gear full-on humping with sternum to the bars and butt in the seat due to just enough loose gravel for traction to be an issue. Wow! That worked me over. Fun times!

Sending out good healing thoughts and prayers

Well, we went down to the Hellyerdrome to watch the Friday night races tonight. I guess we were hoping to bring back some of those formerly happy track feelings aided by Hefeweizen and Velo Bella cheer. All was going splendidly until about half way through the women's points race when 4 riders went down. All riders were conscious and talking, but Sabine and Donna went to the hospital with some pretty serious fractures (we think). Dorit went with clavicle break and Christain (Jr. racer) escaped with just scrapes and bruises. They weren't even going that fast, but it was an awkward crash.

Anyway, we're thinking of all of you! Please let us know if you need anything.

Tailbone update

Well, Rick really stole my thunder with the whole hip thing. Now, my tailbone incident seems quite silly, really. Anyway, a new harder seat was put on the bike a few weeks ago with no change in fit. It seemed better, but I got my first real test last weekend when I did a 3+ hour ride with some steep climbs. My sit bones were a little tender when I returned, but the tailbone was just fine. Yay! Phew! No more inflatable donut for me!

Ponderaciousness

Well, it's been a wild and crazy few weeks. I have been really busy playing "Sarah Nightengale" and not riding my bike as much as I should. But, I've pretty much written off the rest of the season anyway. I may make a swan song at San Ardo if everything aligns for that.

But, I've been giving some thought to the whole cycling thing - not sure where to go next in that aspect of my life. I like the whole racing thing, but not sure if I am willing to risk an injury as serious as the one Rick has (or an even worse injury). At the same time, I'm not interested in being a phobic who locks herself inside and misses out on life for fear. What is the level of risk I'm willing to accept? I just don't know the answer to that question.

I've had a blast racing on the track, but that is where I'm currently most petrified of riding due to a couple serious crashes of late. I love road racing, but am not particularly suited to it. I've never come to love the crit. Yeah, I can be more competitive there, but it's scary and kinda boring to me at the same time (and maybe that's just the W4 races with their general lack of tactics and inexperienced/dangerous riders). But, am I willing to put myself out there long enough to move to that next level. Am I willing to take the risk? I don't know.

So, I've got lots of pondering to do before next season. Maybe I focus on TT and hill climbs and enter Kern and a couple road races that I like and call it a season. Maybe focusing on TT and climbing will make me competitive in the road races. Maybe I'll go back to the evil triathlon land. I don't know.

Bottom line is: what kind of cyclist do I want to be?